Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07783750

PREOPERATIVE PAIN NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CABG

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of a single preoperative pain neuroscience education (PNE) session on postoperative pain-related outcomes in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Participants were randomly allocated to either a PNE group, which received a structured preoperative PNE session in addition to routine preoperative care, or a control group, which received routine preoperative information and care. Outcomes included pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, pain vigilance and awareness, and pressure pain threshold. Assessments were conducted preoperatively and at 24 hours, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pain, Postoperative Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Postoperative Complications Postoperative Pain Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Harran University Faculty of Medicine Training and Research Hospital

Sanliurfa, Şanlıurfa, 63000, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

This study was designed as a prospective, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial involving patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The study investigated whether preoperative pain neuroscience education could influence acute and persistent postoperative pain-related outcomes following CABG.

Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention group or a control group. Participants in the intervention group received a structured pain neuroscience education session before surgery in addition to routine preoperative care. The educational session addressed the neurophysiology of pain, the role of the nervous system and brain in pain perception, factors that may influence pain experiences, common misconceptions about pain, and strategies for understanding and coping with postoperative pain. Participants in the control group received routine preoperative information and care without structured pain neuroscience education.

Assessments were performed at baseline before surgery and at 24 hours, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery. Pain intensity was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). Pain-related cognitive and attentional factors were assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire (PVAQ). Pressure pain threshold (PPT) was assessed using a digital pressure algometer.

The study aimed to determine whether a brief preoperative educational intervention targeting pain-related knowledge and beliefs could improve postoperative pain and pain-related outcomes in patients undergoing CABG.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Adults aged 18 years or older Scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) through median sternotomy Able to understand and communicate sufficiently to participate in the education and outcome assessments Provided informed consent to participate in the study -

Exclusion criteria

Emergency CABG surgery Concomitant cardiac surgical procedures other than CABG Inability to understand or participate in the pain neuroscience education session Cognitive or communication impairment preventing completion of study assessments Postoperative clinical conditions preventing participation in the planned assessments

-

Treatment and study plan

pain neuroscience education

Behavioral

Participants received a structured pain neuroscience education session preoperatively in addition to routine preoperative care. The education addressed the neurophysiology of pain, the role of the nervous system and brain in pain perception, factors influencing the pain experience, common pain-related misconceptions, and strategies for understanding and coping with postoperative pain.

Primary outcomes

  1. Cough-Evoked Surgical-Site Pain Intensity at 3 Months

    Time frame: 3 months after surgery

    Cough-evoked pain intensity at the surgical site was assessed using a 0-10 pain rating scale, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Cough-Evoked Surgical-Site Pain Intensity

    Time frame: 24 hours and 1 month after surgery

    Cough-evoked pain intensity at the surgical site was assessed using a 0-10 pain rating scale, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity.

  2. Pain Catastrophizing

    Time frame: Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery

    Pain catastrophizing was assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). The PCS consists of 13 items scored from 0 to 4, yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 52. Higher scores indicate greater pain catastrophizing.

  3. Pain Vigilance and Awareness

    Time frame: Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery

    Pain-related vigilance and attention were assessed using the Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire (PVAQ). The PVAQ consists of 16 items, with higher total scores indicating greater attention to and vigilance for pain.

  4. Local Pressure Pain Threshold

    Time frame: Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery

    Local mechanical pain sensitivity was assessed using pressure pain threshold (PPT) testing with a pressure algometer at a site adjacent to the sternotomy region. The pressure at which the sensation first became painful was recorded, with higher PPT values indicating lower mechanical pain sensitivity.

  5. Remote Pressure Pain Threshold

    Time frame: Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery

    Remote mechanical pain sensitivity was assessed using pressure pain threshold (PPT) testing with a pressure algometer at a site remote from the surgical area. The pressure at which the sensation first became painful was recorded, with higher PPT values indicating lower mechanical pain sensitivity

  6. Chronic Postsurgical Pain

    Time frame: 3 months after surgery

    The presence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) was assessed at 3 months after CABG based on the presence of persistent pain related to the surgical procedure.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

İsmail Palalı

Other

Registry information

Official study title

EFFECT OF PREOPERATIVE PAIN NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION ON CHRONIC POSTOPERATIVE PAIN AFTER CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Acronym: PNE-CABG

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Aug 25, 2026
Registry last updated
Aug 25, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.